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Note: RFN164 BIOGRAPHY [BO:[UL:The Story of Jakob Smidt:UL]:BO] Jakob Smidt was born at Rorichum, Ostfriesland, Germany, on the Ems River near the border of Holland. Rorichum is a very old town and was well known in the 15th Century, as well as nearby Oldersum, which was the larger trading center at that time. The Rorichum Church is one of the oldest in East Friesland, having been built in 1347. The church is a heavy walled "baked stone" rectangular structure, with a figure of a rooster on top of the mast, denoting the Calvinist faith. There is a separate high and very old bell tower and adjacent to them is the Freidhof (Kakehof) or cemetery. In 1812, Kreis Aurich, which included Rorichum, was annexed to the Kingdom of Prussia. The Ostfriesians didn't like the Prussians due to their military activities, so in 1815 Kreis Aurich reverted back to the Havover Province. Jakob Smidt was not from a wealthy family, his father being a shoemaker. As was customary, Jakob was conscripted into the Prussian
army in 1812, at the age of 19. In 1815 he was with the Prussian Infantry in Belgium getting ready to invade France. Napoleon had escaped from exile, reactivated his army, and was determined to destroy the Allies on the Northwest before they could begin the invasion. The Prussians, in their dark gray uniforms and very high helmets, were deployed along the banks of the Sambre and Meuse Rivers with headquarters at Namur and Leige. They were led by the tough 72
year old General Marshal Gebbard von Bl�ucher who coordinated an attack from the east while Wellington's army prepared to advance from the north and west.
On Thursday, June 15, Napoleon crossed the French border south of Charleroi with about half of his army of 126,000 veteran soldiers. Regiment after regiment of light cavalry dashed into Belgium. Wellington was actually napping in Brussels when the French army engaged the Prussians further to the east. The Prussian outposts were soon swamped and by early afternoon the French had crossed the Sambre and headed for Ligny where the principal early Prussian engagement took place the afternoon of the next day. Jakob Smidt was with the troops that had arrived that afternoon evening, having been delayed by French troops under Marshal Grouchy. He was with the troops near Ligny that were overwhelmed by the French cavalry. During the course of the battle, Jakob received a bullet through his hat and several more through his clothing. His regiment was
overwhelmed by the French infantry and the survivors were taken prisoner. Now started the long, difficult prisoner's march along the one hundred and sixty miles to Paris. The guards on horseback prodded the men along the sides of the roads which were clogged by military gear being rushed in the opposite direction. With the rain and mud, and the strenuous events of the past two days of battle that had fatigued the already hungry prisoners, the journey became a virtual death march. The badly wounded and fatigued men that could not keep up with the march were put to the sword or bayonet, since powder was scarce and too valuable to waste. Finally, on the second day of the march, with Paris still a long way in the distance, Jakob was rapidly becoming exhausted and was slowly slipping back to the end of the line of prisoners. He knew that his end was probably very near. While passing through a small French village, he finally fell to his knees from sheer exhaustion. He was a very religious man, and knowing that this may be his final moments, he began to pray. A young French girl watching the line of prisoners through a window of her home, saw him praying and ran outside to hand him a glass of wine and two small biscuits. This kind offering gave him the strength and stimulation to keep up with the other prisioners for the remainder of the march. They finally reached the prison camp situated on the low hills at the northeast
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